MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball run-ruled Louisiana-Monroe in game one of its Sun Belt Conference doubleheader on Saturday and produced a four-run, comeback sixth inning in the nightcap to clinch the series.
 
USA (13-10, 2-2 SBC) scored five runs in the fourth inning of game one to win by mercy rule, 8-0, after five frames, powered by Emily Messer's 3-for-3 performance. Devin Brown allowed only one hit with seven strikeouts to one walk in the contest.
 
Louisiana-Monroe (14-13, 2-3 SBC) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two, before the Jaguars answered with a four-spot on five hits in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-4 win.
 
Game three is slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. Links to live stats, video and ticket information can be found by accessing the Jaguar softball schedule page. In-game Twitter updates are provided for each USA contest via the program's official handle, @USAJagsSoftball.
 
South Alabama 8, Louisiana-Monroe 0 (5 inn.)
Stephanie Pilkington opened scoring in the bottom of the first with her RBI single up the middle, plating Messer, who led off with a double to left center, as the Jags took a 1-0 lead.
 
Messer then singled to score pinch-runner Megan Harris to double USA's lead in the second inning, and Savanna Mayo scored on Katlynn Kaminski's wild pitch to put the Jags ahead, 3-0.
 
USA stacked five on the Warhawks in the bottom of the fourth, beginning with Mayo's RBI groundout, which scored Haleigh Lane, who drew a leadoff walk. Messer followed with an RBI triple down the line to score Harris, as USA went up, 5-0.
 
Pilkington then scored Messer, again with a base hit, and Haleigh Lowe's single scored Kaleigh Todd for a 7-0 host lead. Kristian Foster's double to left field plated pinch-runner Tucker Caraway for the eighth run.
 
The only hit Brown allowed in the contest was Rochelle Roberts's leadoff bunt single in the top of the first. The Mobile, Ala., retired 14 of the final 17 batters she faced. Brown improved to 7-6 with the win.
 
Messer finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Pilkington was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Lowe went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
 
Kaminski suffered the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on seven hits with one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings. Reliever Casey Waterman gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
 
South Alabama 7, Louisiana-Monroe 4
USA took a first-inning lead for the sixth game in a row to start the nightcap when Pilkington laid down a bunt single, and Messer scored on a subsequent Warhawk fielding error. Foster lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Todd for a 2-0 Jaguar lead.
 
USA tacked on more on to go ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the third on Lowe's RBI double to center field, scoring Pilkington, who drew a two-out walk just before.
 
ULM answered with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a one-run lead. Faith Bohack came around a fielder's choice that allowed Cheyanne Lyon to reach, after the former reached on a Jaguar fielding error.
 
Vanessa Garcia then singled to left field to score Hunter Hogan and pull the Warhawks within a run. In the bottom of the fifth, Sidney Coy's two-run single to shallow left gave the visitors a 4-3 lead.
 
USA's comeback inning began with Amanda MInahan's bunt single. Lane then reached on a Warhawk fielding error, and Alex Breeden tied the contest, 4-4, with a base hit to left field to score Minahan.
 
Freshman Dayla Gulledge drew a walk in a pinch-hitting situation to put a pair on base for Messer, and the senior doubled down the line to score both, as USA took a 6-4 lead. Gulledge then came around on Pilkington's base hit to left field for a Jaguar insurance run.
 
Messer finished game two 1-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Pilkington was 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run. Lowe was 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. The Jaguars drew seven total walks in the contest, tying their season high.
 
Destin Vicknair (6-3) picked up her sixth win this season, despite allowing a career-high 10 hits. She struck out three, walked none and allowed four runs (two earned).

Melanie Coyne suffered the loss for ULM, falling to an even 9-9 after allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and seven walks in six innings.
 
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).